Loser
| "Loser" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Ween | |
| Recorded | 1996 |
| Length | 4:12 |
| Songwriter(s) | Beck Hansen, Carl Stephenson |
"Loser" is a song by Beck. The song has been covered by Ween as a studio recording for a scrapped one-hit-wonders compilation.
Song Details[edit | edit source]
History[edit | edit source]
There had been information about the band covering "Loser" as early as April 4, 1996. It was recorded for a compilation titled Wonderama, an Elektra compilation focused on covers of artists conceived as "one hit wonders". The line-up consisted of a collaboration between Henry Rollins and RuPaul covering "Funkytown" by Lipps. Inc[1], a death metal cover of DEVO's "Whip It" by Moby, The Buggles' "Video Killed The Radio Star" by Ben Folds Five[2], Coolio, Neil Young, The Flaming Lips, and David Hasselhoff.[3] The compilation was slated to be either released in June or July of the same year, but the album was reportedly shelved before any copies were pressed.
In a 1996 article on Ween, the Pennsylvania newspaper The Morning Call mentioned the "Loser" cover. In the article, Gene Ween stated "I thought it would be funny because there's always this Ween vs. Beck thing going on ... You can't even tell it's 'Loser,' it's all screwed up."[4]
In 1997, Dean Ween played a recording of the cover to an interviewer for Raygun magazine. Deaner mentioned that the track "will never, ever come out", with the interviewer supporting the claim by writing that the cover was "so twisted only the author himself would probably enjoy it".[5]
Recording and Composition[edit | edit source]
Compared to the original, Ween's cover of "Loser" is substantially different. Among the changes are a text-to-speech program covering the rap verses over sparse synth effects, the signature guitar riff being poorly played and recorded for comedic effect and pitched up to the key of D# major, and Gene Ween's sung vocal for the chorus being heavily pitched down.
Release[edit | edit source]
The earliest known upload of the cover was uploaded to YouTube on August 28, 2016[6] on the Boognish Monster channel, a channel well-known by Ween fans for uploading live recordings and outtakes. The release was met with both praise and skepticism from Ween fans. Most fans believed that the recording was indeed real and Ween at its brownest, while others believed it was a prank from someone else who made the cover themselves, and intentionally labeling under the band's name.
The recording's authenticity would be confirmed via the Ween Archived YouTube channel on September 3rd, 2024, when the channel released a version with corrected speed and volume.
Song Themes[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20060116112848/www.ipass.net/jthrush/rollband.htm
- ↑ https://www.jwz.org/blog/2007/11/funkytown/
- ↑ http://www.uic.unn.ru/~udr/moby.htm
- ↑ https://www.mcall.com/news/mc-xpm-1996-09-14-3101091-story.html
- ↑ https://groups.google.com/g/alt.music.ween/c/aKgBj5WZx6g/m/zni9DefvwzEJ
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLpfDI7nabM